Morgan Brian selected No. 1 in NWSL draft

Morgan Brian selected No. 1 in NWSL draft

A lock for the U.S. Women’s National Team for the past year, 21-year-old Morgan Brian is now a professional soccer player, too.

The Houston Dash selected Brian as the No. 1 overall draft pick Friday at the National Women’s Soccer League draft in Philadelphia. Brian, an attacking midfielder from the University of Virginia widely expected to be selected first, won her second consecutive MAC Hermann Trophy last week and represented the USWNT at World Cup qualifying in fall.

UCLA rounded out the next three selections, with midfielder Sarah Killion selected No. 2 by Sky Blue FC, Abby Dahlkemper at No. 3 by the Western New York Flash and midfielder Samantha Mewis at No. 4, also by the Flash. Mewis is currently with the USWNT at the team’s first training camp of the year, but remains a bubble player there.

With the World Cup set for this summer, this year’s draft is likely the most important in the league’s short history. During and before the tournament, many of the top players in the league, including all allocated players, will miss stretches of the season to be with their national teams, placing new importance on the young drafted talent to fill in the gaps.

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